The present invention is directed to data-entry devices.
As the computer field advances, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the limiting factor in various systems is the human being who must ultimately enter data. This is particularly true of the more-interactive systems.
Typically, quantitative data, such as financial information and physical quantities, are entered in an interactive system by operation of a keyboard, sometimes in response to prompting messages from the system. These prompting messages reduce the amount of learning the user must do before he can effectively enter data. He often needs to know very little about operating the system other than how to manipulate the keys of an ordinary keyboard. Thus, efficiency is increased as the user is able to shift his emphasis from how to enter data to concentrate on what the data are.
Even the relatively simple function of operating a keyboard, however, can present a barrier to the user, because this type of entry is not always the most natural. An object of the present invention, therefore, is to enable the user to enter quantitative data in such a way as to enable him to concentrate on the information being entered rather than on the mode of entry.